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Not necessarily.

You could say, I have a bunch of documents that implicate you and they'll be sent out to authorities should I not answer my email or phone at N time.



"I know you really don't want to tell me where those documents are, but maybe you'll tell my friend, Mr. Hosey?"


Maybe, but this is the case for any dead man's switch (even a bank/lawyer). It's always a balance between what the mob boss thinks he can get you to do vs the power of the dirt you have on him. Literature/TV have beaten to death the permutations/twists on this theme.




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